Mortal: Starting with the Seven Mysterious Sects, I proved my Dao through sacrifice.

Following the updates has never been so enjoyable.

Murong Fan sat cross-legged on the futon, surrounded by spiritual energy. He was operating the Mingwang Technique to its fullest extent, but the nascent soul within his dantian seemed to be trapped by invisible shackles, unable to break through that thin barrier. He had cultivated to the third level of the Mingwang Technique and was in the early stage of the nascent soul realm for several years, only one step away from breaking through to the middle stage, but this step was like an insurmountable chasm.

Even though his innate spiritual root talent was one in a million, and he possessed numerous rare and precious materials, the bottleneck he faced was still like a mountain, pressing down on him and making it hard for him to breathe. His heart was filled with anxiety, and his eyes held a hint of resentment and confusion.

On this day, Murong Fan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, summarizing and reflecting on his cultivation insights, trying to find an opportunity to break through his bottleneck. The ancient cypress trees outside swayed in the wind, rustling softly, and a faint sandalwood scent filled the air. Suddenly, a steady footstep approached, unhurried yet carrying an air of authority. Murong Fan's heart skipped a beat; he knew the monk who was transmitting his cultivation had arrived.

He quickly put away his books, straightened his robes, and strode to the courtyard gate. There stood a monk in a gray robe, his hands clasped together, a respectful expression on his face. "Elder Murong, Abbot Yuanxiang requests your presence in the rear hall of the Great Buddha Hall," the monk's voice was deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable authority.

Murong Fan was startled. The Abbot Yuanxiang had personally summoned him; was this a blessing or a curse? He took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts, and followed the monk who was transmitting skills to the back of the hall. Along the way, he saw many disciples coming and going, their faces filled with reverence, clearly aware of the Abbot Yuanxiang's authority.

Upon arriving at the rear hall, Murong Fan looked up and saw that the hall was resplendent in gold and jade, with solemn and dignified Buddha statues and swirling incense smoke. Yuan Xiang, dressed in a golden-red kasaya, sat upright on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, a faint smile on his face, and an aura of majesty emanating from him.

Several core elders of the Leiyin Sect stood on either side of the main hall, their faces solemn and their eyes sharp, clearly taking this summons very seriously.

On the table was a gold-embossed apprenticeship certificate and a jade pendant engraved with the mountain pattern of the Leiyin Sect. The jade pendant was crystal clear and emitted a faint spiritual light. It was obviously not an ordinary item. It was an ornament worn by the core formal disciples of the Leiyin Sect.

Yuan Xiang smiled gently as he watched him enter and said, "Murong Fan, you have been a member of my Thunder Sound Sect for over ten years. You are indeed destined for Buddhism! From your initial role as a disciple to your current status as a layperson, you have diligently cultivated without ever slacking off. Now, you are about to enter the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Your talent and temperament are both excellent. Today, in front of all the elders, I ask you one question: are you willing to become my disciple and my personal formal disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Fan was deeply shocked. He looked up abruptly at Yuan Xiang, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. Becoming a disciple of the abbot and a formal personal disciple was something countless Lei Yin Sect disciples dreamed of, yet he had already refused twice.

The first time was when he had just joined the Thunder Sound Sect and his cultivation was still shallow. He worried that he was not up to the task of being a personal disciple and was also afraid of getting involved in the sect's power struggles. The second time, he didn't want to be trapped in the Thunder Sound Sect, as he did have unfinished business in Tiannan. He took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and asked in a deep voice, "Abbot, what merit do I possess to deserve your high regard?"

Yuan Xiang smiled slightly, slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. "The Gathering Yang Micro-Dust Array you set up at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage Ceremony was exquisite, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to help you advance to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, demonstrating your exceptional talent in array formations. In addition, you defeated powerful enemies and skillfully eliminated traitors in the sect competition, showcasing outstanding cultivation, excellent aptitude, and a resilient and diligent nature. You are truly a promising talent. I have taken you as my disciple in the hope that you can carry forward the array formation tradition of my Thunder Sound Sect and become a pillar of the sect in the future."

Murong Fan was filled with excitement upon hearing Yuan Xiang's words. Looking at the expectation in Yuan Xiang's eyes and the envious glances of the elders on either side, he knew this was his chance to change his destiny. He immediately knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times, his forehead bleeding slightly. His voice was steady, yet brimming with barely concealed excitement: "Disciple Murong Fan is willing to become a disciple of Master. From now on, I will obey Master's orders, abide by the sect rules, and never bring shame upon Master!"

In fact, Murong Fan was not unwilling to become Yuan Xiang's disciple. He was waiting for the right price. He didn't know why Yuan Xiang wanted to take him as a disciple. After all, the acceptance of disciples by high-ranking members of a sect often involved the balance and struggle of power within the sect. As an outsider and a lay disciple with shallow foundation, rashly becoming a disciple would only bring trouble upon himself.

Now, he has broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm by taking advantage of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestors Ceremony. He previously used amazing methods to cleverly eliminate spies, and not long ago he also showed his extraordinary talent in array formations. Now that he is stuck at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, becoming a disciple of Yuan Xiang is the fastest way to improve his cultivation.

"Besides, Yuan Xiang went to great lengths to recruit me this time, holding such a grand and formal ceremony. He even invited all the core elders of the sect to witness it. This clearly shows that he is giving me face. If I don't agree, not only will I offend him, but I will also appear ungrateful! This Yuan Xiang is truly a seasoned veteran who understands human relationships!" Murong Fan thought to himself.

Seeing him kowtow and pay his respects, Yuan Xiang's smile widened. He personally helped him up, took out the jade pendant with the mountain pattern, and handed it to him: "Good, good. From today onwards, you are my personal disciple, Yuan Xiang's personal disciple, and a core formal disciple of the Leiyin Sect."

The core elders on both sides stepped forward to offer their congratulations, their words full of politeness. "Junior Brother Murong is truly a promising young man, congratulations!" a white-browed elder said with a smile, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He had long seen that Murong Fan was exceptionally talented, and now that he had become a disciple of the abbot, his future was bound to be limitless.

"From now on, if you encounter any difficulties in the sect, just let us know. We old folks will definitely do our best to help you." Another plump elder patted Murong Fan on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of closeness. Everyone could see that Yuan Xiang had long favored Murong Fan, and now that he had such a fine disciple, the entire array formation lineage of the Thunder Sound Sect was poised for a resurgence.

"It seems that learning formations from Xin Ruyin and Qi Yunxiao has brought him so many benefits!" It seems that the various arts of cultivation that Master Hongfu taught him were indeed useful.

Murong Fan thanked them one by one, then gripped the cool jade pendant in his hand. He felt the stagnant spiritual energy in his body instantly become more active, and the realm that had been stuck at the bottleneck for so long began to loosen.

Yuan Xiang, seeing his expression, knew that he was content. He smiled and waved his hand, revealing an ancient-looking manual of cultivation techniques on the table. The cover bore five large, gold-embossed characters: "The Tathagata Thunder Sound Technique." "This is the core protective technique of my Thunder Sound Sect. Now that you have joined my sect, you should practice the orthodox methods of our sect. In the future, if you combine it with the 'Ming Wang Technique,' you will surely achieve twice the results with half the effort."

Murong Fan accepted the secret manual with both hands, feeling its warmth against his skin. He bowed again and said, "Thank you, Master, for imparting your skills. I will certainly study diligently and live up to the honor of my sect."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiang laughed heartily, personally helped Murong Fan up, tied the identity jade pendant around his waist, and handed him the core cultivation method of the Thunder Sound Sect, the "Subduing Demon Heart Sutra": "From now on, you are my personal disciple, Yuan Xiang. This Subduing Demon Heart Sutra complements your cultivation of the Bright King Technique. Go back and study it diligently; do not neglect it!"

"Considering your worldly desires, you may still practice with your hair intact. This is both a respect for your original intention and the result of my discussion with the elders. You need not feel constrained."

Murong Fan felt a warmth in his heart and bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your consideration, Master. I will remember it in my heart."

Yuan Xiang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the assembled elders, and announced loudly, "Today, the ceremony of accepting Murong Fan as my personal disciple is complete."

The elders offered their congratulations in unison once again, and the air in the hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

As Murong Fan followed the elders out of the inner hall, he felt his steps become much lighter. The jade pendant at his waist flashed with a faint light, constantly reminding him of his transformation. From a lay elder from outside the sect, he had leaped to become the direct core disciple of the Thunder Sound Sect's abbot—this step was truly a meteoric rise! He clutched the two core secret manuals in his arms, feeling his nascent soul in his dantian becoming increasingly active. The barrier that had bound him for so long had begun to crack with fine lines; breaking through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm was just around the corner.

Murong Fan bowed again to thank his master, clutching the cultivation manual in his hand and stroking the mountain-patterned jade pendant at his waist, feeling its warmth. His heart was filled with ambition and pride. From this day forward, he was a core, formal disciple of the Thunder Sound Sect, and his path of cultivation would be smoother from now on. He looked up at the sky outside the main hall; sunlight shone through the clouds, illuminating his path. He knew that his path of cultivation was fraught with peril and hardship, and many more challenges and opportunities awaited him in the future.

The best Xianxia novel voted by readers, "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting with the Seven Mysteries Sect, I Prove My Dao Through Sacrifice" ranks among the top!